Let’s Talk about a Writer’s Time

I came across this 2015 article (Celeste Ng is right: authors shouldn’t feel forced to respond to readers) recently and it made me think of 2017.

The article said, “Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You, which won Amazon’s book of the year award, simply tweeted a request to teachers not to assign emails to authors. In a series of explanatory tweets to angry users, who tweeted to chide her for being ‘selfish’ and tell her that students should stop reading her book, Ng patiently explained that a teacher required students to obtain a quote from her in order to receive full credit. Other authors quickly came to Ng’s defense, noting that responding to upwards of 30 emails from students would constitute hours of unpaid labor. ‘We’re not robots,’ author Roxane Gay tweeted. ‘We do what we can.'” (See also ‘A Case of Charity‘ by Christine Mager Wevik)

In 2017, I went in to the hospital for surgery and during my recovery period when I (a freelancer who found it impossible to stop entirely but slowed way the hell down, doing what I could from my bed) was suddenly hit with a number (what felt like a lot) of DMs and emails from students and parents alike. This wasn’t new (and is usually in Independence and Black History Month season). And I have made myself available many times in the past to visit schools and answer questions. But from my bed, with a healing incision, in 2017, it was too much. There were some standard questions that they had , about me and aspects of my life, some of which I don’t consider public. There is always parent info, for instance – I should point out that while one of my parents doesn’t care, another has explicitly requested that I not give out information about them. And for myself, there is some tension in myself about how much to share because of my socialization but I’ve learned to let some of that go. In 2017, or maybe just before (I can’t remember), I updated my bio page and created a media page which I felt would provide answers to all the questions for anyone willing to do the research and dig through the links. Most of the people who contacted me weren’t willing to do the research and dig through the links. They, a fairly steady stream of them, just wanted answers to the questions they’d been tasked to ask. One in particular, reaching out via my public facebook page‘s DMs, led off with don’t send me no link just give me the information (I guess she had been warned that I was providing a link in response to requests). Her tone and entitlement were the last straw for me. I am aware that I am not a superstar and need every reader I can get. I know that without readers and reader interest my books would be that proverbial tree falling in the woods. I share reader reviews as readily as any critical review. I am grateful. But I am also human and I was hurting and I had had enough. So I told the person that they were being rude and entitled, and cautioned them to stop, and they basically said, sorry, but give me what I asked for. And continued the harassment every few minutes. I closed off my public facebook DMs and it’s remained closed since. At that point I needed to protect my peace. I hope this site (notably the resources and databases links, and the Wadadli Pen project itself) is evidence of the fact that I do try to give back and pay it forward and all that, sometimes at cost to myself, my time, time lost, and because I am freelance not salaried, money lost, but especially at cost to writing time and other things I need to do and guard in order to create. Do I, does any writer owe anyone that? Does a writer owe more than the book they sweat blood and tears to create? How do you make space for the people who feel entitled to your time when you can barely find time for yourself – or the people who don’t feel entitled but are just trying to figure ish out (talking of aspiring and emerging writers here). You make time when you can, of course, and, if you’re me, you offer workshops, you provide links, you create study guides for students, you organize school tours in a way that aligns with your time (if not your budget) and hope that teachers will respect the schedule you propose (some do, some don’t), and hope that people understand. So, yeah, Celeste is not wrong nor selfish for saying teachers should not hinge a grade on getting a quote from an author nor feel entitled to a writers’ time. And to students (and anyone else really), do your secondary research (especially when your subject takes the time to build links you can use) so that if you do get a bit of the author’s time (because there are windows of time when you will) you’re prepared and it’s meaningful.

I try to make the time (we love our readers and appreciate any interest in our books), but I am not always able to make the time; and I don’t think I am unique in that regard. Just a bit of understanding of that point is all that’s asked.

See also Author Invites – a Checklist.

As with all content on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and The Jungle Outside). All Rights Reserved. Subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.

A & B Arts Round up – February 8th 2019 —>

July 6th 2019 – 6 p.m. – The Royal Society of Literature – New Daughters of Africa – part of the Africa Writes Festival @ the Knowledge Centre, the British Library, London – this is obviously not being held in Antigua (and though I’m unlikely to be there, I wanted to let my Caribbean and especially my Antiguan people know about this, one of the events being held to promote the New Daughters of Africa). “Twenty-five years after Margaret Busby’s Daughters of Africa anthology, a new companion volume brings together the work of over 200 writers from across the globe – Antigua to Zimbabwe, Angola to the USA – to celebrate a unifying heritage, illustrate an uplifting sense of sisterhood and showcase the remarkable range of creativity from the African diaspora.” Details here.

April 30th 2019 – A feature of Antigua Sailing Week is Reggae in the Park at the Nelson’s Dockyard, an official UNESCO heritage site. Go here for details.

March 31st 2019 –  – last year this empowering afternoon had everyone from Destra to CP and even one of the authors up for book of the year Janice Sutherland.

March 31st 2019 – Wadadli Pen Readers Choice Book of the Year voting deadline. If there’s a book, released between 2017 and 2018, by an Antiguan and Barbudan that you read and liked. Vote. If you haven’t read any of the books on the list; there’s still time. Here’s where you go to see the books and vote.

 

#readAntiguaBarbuda #voteAntiguaBarbuda

March 9th 2019 – the public launch event of New Daughters of Africa at the WOW – Women of the World Festival on London’s Southbank. This is not being held in Antigua (and though I’m unlikely to be there, I wanted to let my Caribbean and especially my Antiguan people know about this, one of the events being held to promote the New Daughters of Africa). “Twenty-five years after Margaret Busby’s Daughters of Africa anthology, a new companion volume brings together the work of over 200 writers from across the globe – Antigua to Zimbabwe, Angola to the USA – to celebrate a unifying heritage, illustrate an uplifting sense of sisterhood and showcase the remarkable range of creativity from the African diaspora.” More here.

As with all content on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is written by Wadadli Pen founder, coordinator, and blogger Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and With Grace). All Rights Reserved.

Remember to vote for your favourite book by an Antiguan and Barbuda, 2017-2018.

Wadadli Pen Challenge 2017 – the Long List

PLEASE NOTE: There have been some updates made to this post.

The judges have finished all rounds of judging and have culled the submissions to 11 – all set to receive category prizes with three claiming the top three slots. As we do, the stories/poems were returned to the initial long list of writers for editing before the second round of judging to determine the top three. We return the top entries to the writers with edit notes from the judges so that said entries go through at least one round of the kind of editing they would go through before publishing if submitted to a journal, anthology, or imprint for publishing. We do this because Wadadli Pen is developmental in intent, and we want the writers to focus not just on the prizes but on improving their craft. There was also a third round of judging which resulted in some adjustments to the initial long list.

As a reminder, the judges don’t  receive any names or other identifying information; they evaluate the entries blind, strictly on merit. And, of course, the judges’ decisions are final. If you’re not on the list, use the disappointment to fuel your motivation to come even better next year; if you are on the list, CONGRATULATIONS.

FINALLY, this is what you came here for…

From 93 96 eligible entries! (a single year record), here’s the revised long list (in alphabetical order):

The Schools which will receive the prize as the school prize with most submissions – Island Academy

Authors who are winners in their age category and still in the running for the main prize –

Emma Belizaire (St. Andrew’s Primary School, student) – entry ‘Cricket is my Life’

Ashley Francis (St. Andrew’s Primary School, student) – entry ‘Our Caribbean’

Fayola Jardine – entry ‘Mango Picking Interruption’

Andrecia Lewis (Antigua State College, student) – entry ‘Strange’

Lucia Murray (St. Anthony’s Secondary, student) – entry ‘Mr Duppy’

Ava C. Ralph (Antigua Girls High School, student) – entry ‘Non fiction?’

Kaeiron Saunders (St. Anthony’s Secondary School, lecturer) – entry ‘Not Another Island Story; as told by Aunty Gah’

Shadieal Simmons (Baptist Academy, student) – entry ‘Brave Eleven-year-old saved two months Baby’

Zion Ebony Williams (Baptist Academy, student) – entry ‘Who don’t hear, will feel’

Devon Wuilliez (Island Academy, student) – entry ‘The Great Big Dumz’

Francis Yankey (Antigua Grammar School, student) – entry ‘And She Sang Fire’

Once again, congrats to the finalists; and good luck!

Some thanks:

To the teachers, principals, parents, and others who helped students/young writers get their entries in. Processing posed some challenges for us because, frankly, everyone did not follow the submission guidelines (and that’s an understatement) but, though this has delayed final processing, we do appreciate the effort; and will work to make submitting more user-friendly.

To the team – including past winner Devra Thomas who’s helping deal with communication with patrons so that we can properly reward these writers; past finalist and our first ever intern Michaela Harris who has assisted with media and administrative tasks; returning chief judge and author (Pink Teacups and Blue Dresses, Through the Window) Floree Whyte and her team for doing the Difficult; and past winner Margaret Irish who did not know what she was walking in to when she offered to take processing of entries and communicating with entrants off of my hands (but I appreciate it).

You may have noticed, if you’ve followed our pattern over these 13 years of Wadadli Pen, that we are behind schedule-wise. Some of you have already started querying (what gives?). Well, what gives is that we have decided to open up the schedule and announce the winners during the May 13th Wadadli Stories Book Fair; call it circumstance, call it fortune but we think it’s a good blend of brands. Plus another team member Barbara Arrindell is involved with both projects – as is patron the Best of Books – so it just made sense. Though it means a longer wait for the final results. Be patient with us; we will do our best to make it worth your while.

For more on the project, check:
About Wadadli Pen
Wadadli Pen 2017
Wadadli Pen 2017 Challenge Patrons

As with all content on Wadadli Pen, except otherwise noted, this is written by Antiguan and Barbudan writer Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Fish Outta Water, Musical Youth, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight 10th Anniversary Edition and Other Writings, and With Grace; also a freelance writer, editor, writing coach and workshop facilitator). Excerpting, reblogging, linking etc. is fine, but PLEASE do not lift ANY content (images or text) wholesale from this site without asking first and crediting the creator of that work and/or copyright holder. All Rights Reserved. If you like the content here follow or recommend the blog, also, check out my page on Amazon, WordPress, and/or Facebook, and help spread the word about Wadadli Pen and my books. Thank you.